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Jimbaround

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http://bourbonr.com/blog/eh-taylor-amaranth-announced/

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We don’t have a lot of details yet. I’d be willing to bet that the Amaranth is just a small percentage flavoring grain. Probably in the 5-7% range. The bourbon will most likely be 11 – 12-years old. The price will end up around the $79 mark. Who’s ready to drink some Amaranth?

It’s interesting to note that Amaranth isn’t actually a grain. Amaranth is classified as a pseudo-grain. This can’t be considered bourbon, right? Previously the TTB never defined the term “grain”.  The TTB is kicking around proposed changesto include pseudo-grains in the whiskey class. I’m glad Buffalo Trace has these experiments sitting around. I love tasting quirky releases like this. I just don’t understand how it fits in the E.H. Taylor brand profile.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Llano Estacado said:

 

Not a barrel bourbon expert by any means , but do know after a couple tours at various places the argument TX maker utilize is - there are more drastic daily swings in Texas than KY or TN. If the daily max/min are swinging 20+ that barrel is “breathing” and the unaged bourbon is in and out of those pores a lot more than if the high is 5-10 degs from the low. This year being a perfect example in Houston “winter”. Morning 45 deg jacket. Lunch 68 no jacket. Leave office 55 and falling jacket back on.

 

Not sure how the dissolved sugars work, but the spirit is “moving” in and out of the wood & char hundreds of times more over the coarse of a 10-12 yr than a KY or TN barrel that’s only seeing those cycles as the fronts move through. Also, wouldn’t the higher summer highs mean more dissolved sugars even if they aren’t “falling out” until Dec or Jan in most of TX? If the summer months are really “bad” bourbon months wouldn’t TX from Oct-March be exceptional bourbon months?

 

Be cool to see a sciencey article on it, but wasn’t able to find one with my google-fu.

I’m sure there is some truth to it. Even if science confirms that higher heat ages the bourbon faster, the question is does it make a better product? So far the answer is a resounding no in my book. Is that because faster is not better for bourbon or because Kentucky has 200 years of bourbon making expertise and Texas has 10 years. It might be a little bit of both. I don’t know. I’m all for Texas becoming the bourbon making experts of the world. However until the product is better, I’m spending my money on Kentucky bourbon,. 

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3 minutes ago, Neonmoon said:

I’m sure there is some truth to it. Even if science confirms that higher heat ages the bourbon faster, the question is does it make a better product? So far the answer is a resounding no in my book. Is that because faster is not better for bourbon or because Kentucky has 200 years of bourbon making expertise and Texas has 10 years. It might be a little bit of both. I don’t know. I’m all for Texas becoming the bourbon making experts of the world. However until the product is better, I’m spending my money on Kentucky bourbon,. 

I think the best case scenario is Texas Wine Industry model. A few really nice brands/bottles and top 5 in the US in production. 

Kentucky is always going to be the Bourbon King. 

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I’m sure there is some truth to it. Even if science confirms that higher heat ages the bourbon faster, the question is does it make a better product? So far the answer is a resounding no in my book. Is that because faster is not better for bourbon or because Kentucky has 200 years of bourbon making expertise and Texas has 10 years. It might be a little bit of both. I don’t know. I’m all for Texas becoming the bourbon making experts of the world. However until the product is better, I’m spending my money on Kentucky bourbon,. 
It's not the high heat, it's the wide temp swings as pointed out above. Same reason why scotch is typically aged longer than bourbon.
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8 hours ago, Llano Estacado said:

 

Not a barrel bourbon expert by any means , but do know after a couple tours at various places the argument TX maker utilize is - there are more drastic daily swings in Texas than KY or TN. If the daily max/min are swinging 20+ that barrel is “breathing” and the unaged bourbon is in and out of those pores a lot more than if the high is 5-10 degs from the low. This year being a perfect example in Houston “winter”. Morning 45 deg jacket. Lunch 68 no jacket. Leave office 55 and falling jacket back on.

 

Not sure how the dissolved sugars work, but the spirit is “moving” in and out of the wood & char hundreds of times more over the coarse of a 10-12 yr than a KY or TN barrel that’s only seeing those cycles as the fronts move through. Also, wouldn’t the higher summer highs mean more dissolved sugars even if they aren’t “falling out” until Dec or Jan in most of TX? If the summer months are really “bad” bourbon months wouldn’t TX from Oct-March be exceptional bourbon months?

 

Be cool to see a sciencey article on it, but wasn’t able to find one with my google-fu.

Well right off the bat I know they are full of shit, living in Kentucky I know my temperature swings aren't 5 degrees per day. I'm guessing it swings more than Texas each day honestly

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37 minutes ago, BigDHornfan said:

Picked this up last night but hesitant about it due to it being only 80 proof and some bad reviews.  Anyone try it?

52363118_10156630969813347_4109916989374

I hate to break it to you, but you're probably going to be disappointed. The Bourbon Pursuit guys, including Fred Minnick, called it one of the most under performing bourbons they've tasted. 

Minnick said he waited in line for it and came away very disappointed. 

Edited by billfromlaketravis
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On 2/22/2019 at 12:27 PM, billfromlaketravis said:

I think the best case scenario is Texas Wine Industry model. A few really nice brands/bottles and top 5 in the US in production. 

Kentucky is always going to be the Bourbon King. 

Well, Yeah. What else are they going to do. Marry their cousin.

 

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On 2/23/2019 at 3:42 PM, BigDHornfan said:

Picked this up last night but hesitant about it due to it being only 80 proof and some bad reviews.  Anyone try it?

52363118_10156630969813347_4109916989374

I've never been impressed by Basil Hayden. Starts of nicely, but never finishes strong IMO.  Weak on the back end, like a watered down bourbon, and water.

 

Did sample some BH dark rye finished with port, and it was kinda dull, but not spicy peppery like I find most ryes to be. The port seemed to flatten out the rye bite.

Edited by Onboard 2.0
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I really liked the regular Basil when I started drinking bourbon a few years ago, but as my plunge into the brown water has deepened, anything 80 proof just doesn't do it for me anymore. 
 

Yeah I like basil (just reg never had any other) but think of it as almost bourbon light. It's my office bourbon.
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Regular Basil Hayden is my go-to for making Old Fashioned for the ladies. Makes me look smart or something. I have better stuff for the dudes at the party. So as long as you learn how to make each bourbon stay in his lane, there's a great role for may of the ones mentioned on this board. I can't thank you fellas enough for the information in this thread.

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I finished a bottle of Village Liquor's Knob Creek Single Barrel store pick. 

Pretty young for Knob Creek store pick, just over 10 years old. It was pretty good, but the search continues a Knob Creek store pick over 14 years. 

When I read the bad Basil Hayden reviews it saddens me. Freddy Noe and his ilk are much better than this. I'm still pissed I passed on a bottle of Knob Creek 25th Anniversary. 

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My BiL lives near Baltimore.  Last time I visited him he talked about how Basil Hayden's is the rage there.  And I left with 4 bottles of MWND in my suitcase and passed on Michters 10 at 150 (since I'd recently sold my bottle to @ckhorn for that price and didn't feel like replacing). That's all I need to know about BH. 

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Well, I"m sure y'all have been waiting on bated breath to see if I got some of the OF Rye, and I did. J&J Spirits came through and held their last bottle for me. It's pretty damn good. Real smooth but the flavor was a little tamer than I expected for a rye. I also picked up a bottle of Old Overholt Bonded Rye that's pretty damn good too, so it's been a good weekend.

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8 hours ago, Party_Taco said:

I live in Baltimore and fully agree that your BiL and his circle of friends are foolish. No one I know here raves about Basil... and good bourbon is hard to come by in the city. I have my honeypots, but you got lucky with that score... care to share the location?

They're in Severna Park.  Fishpaws Market and Dawsons.  

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I’m sure some of you received the ridiculous Blanton’s email from Village Liquor last night. Village claimed to be the “exclusive Blanton’s retailer in Houston” whatever that means. I think it means they’re authorized to sell Blanton’s merch. 

One bottle of Blanton and wooden cuff links: $75 

One bottle of Blanton’s and maple syrup: $115 

One bottle of Blanton’s and a tote bag: $175

All theee options sold out within minutes. $175 for Blanton’s and a beach bag seems absurd to me. It’s much cheaper on the secondary market. Where are these people coming from? Who are they? Do they not know any better? 

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1 hour ago, billfromlaketravis said:

I’m sure some of you received the ridiculous Blanton’s email from Village Liquor last night. Village claimed to be the “exclusive Blanton’s retailer in Houston” whatever that means. I think it means they’re authorized to sell Blanton’s merch. 

One bottle of Blanton and wooden cuff links: $75 

One bottle of Blanton’s and maple syrup: $115 

One bottle of Blanton’s and a tote bag: $175

All theee options sold out within minutes. $175 for Blanton’s and a beach bag seems absurd to me. It’s much cheaper on the secondary market. Where are these people coming from? Who are they? Do they not know any better? 

Really. Do you not know any better.

im thinking about standing on side of road with my Blantons for $150 each, I like Blantons a lot, but their are a lot of newbie bourbon affectionatos that don’t know any better.

edit: standing the side of the road selling liquor may get me arrested.

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7 hours ago, ckhorn said:

Really. Do you not know any better.

im thinking about standing on side of road with my Blantons for $150 each, I like Blantons a lot, but their are a lot of newbie bourbon affectionatos that don’t know any better.

edit: standing the side of the road selling liquor may get me arrested.

Please report back with the results and/or TABC Black Helicopter Swat Team arrest. 

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9 minutes ago, Neonmoon said:

Speaking of, I’m at a hotel and the bourbon selection consists of Makers, Knob Creek, Buillet, Jack Daniels, and Basil Hayden’s

And they also have Crown Royal and Crown Royal Apple 

kill me 

Nah, it’s not quite suicidal with Knob. Have one as a Manhattan or old fashioned and then move on to sipping.  

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1 hour ago, Neonmoon said:

Speaking of, I’m at a hotel and the bourbon selection consists of Makers, Knob Creek, Buillet, Jack Daniels, and Basil Hayden’s

And they also have Crown Royal and Crown Royal Apple 

kill me 

Yeah that's intermission at theater level bad. I'd order whatever rye they have in an old fashioned and pray for the best. 

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